Apparatus for pulling fence posts and the like



Nov. 18, 1969 J. E. KORCZYNSKI APPARATUS FOR PULLING FENCE POSTS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1967 (fare 0% E. //0/*cz un/41' INVEN'IOR.

QM, i9

ATTORNEY Nov. 18, 1969 .J. E. KORCZYNSKI 3,479,012

APPARATUS FOR PULLING FENCE POSTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5/ INVIZN'TUR.

ATTO/P/Vf) United States Patent O 3,479,012 APPARATUS FOR PULLING FENCE POSTS AND THE LIKE Joseph E. Korczynski, 2907 Park Oak Lane,

. Houston, Tex. 77017 Filed Aug. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 661,121 Int. Cl. B661? 3/06; E21b 19/02 US. Cl. 254132 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is of apparatus for pulling fence posts and the like. Apparatus is described adapted for pulling, or uprooting, both wood posts and metal posts, and the like. The apparatus in both forms includes opposed adjustable jaws for engagement with opposite sides of a post. The apparatus is normally used connected to the three-point power lift of a conventional tractor, the apparatus being lifted to lift the posts out of the ground, and thereby pull them, and the pulling action may be repeated for posts which are buried a considerable distance in the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of the invention is the field encompassing apparatus for pulling, or removing, fence posts which are installed with their lower portions buried in the ground.

Description of the prior art The prior art includes various devices for the pulling of fence posts, no patents being known to the applicant. All of the prior devices known to applicant include the use of a chain wrapped about post, this necessitating the operator dismounting from the tractor or other conveying vehicle and wrapping the chain about each post prior to pulling of the post. The known apparatuses are of the A-frame type.

SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION The invention utilizes opposed adjustable jaws of two different forms depending on the form of post or other vertically elongate object to be pulled. One form of the jaws is primarily for the pulling of wood posts, and the other form of the jaws is primarily for the pulling of metal posts. In each form, the opposed jaws contact opposite sides of the post at different levels, and upon pulling of the post from the ground, lay the post over upon a support from which the post falls to the ground after the pulling is completed. In the case of wood posts, a toothed jaw is provided at one side which bites into the post to enable adequate frictional engagement of the jaw with the post. In the case of metal post, automatic increase of frictional engagement is provided which provides adequate contacts of the jaws with the post without the biting action as in the case of wood posts. The apparatus, as has been mentioned, is mounted at the threepoint power lift of a conventional tractor and the appa- 3,479,012 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 'ice ratus is such that it may be mounted upon any conventional tractor having such a power lift.

In contrast to the devices of the A-frame type, wherein the operator must dismount from the tractor or other vehicle in order to wrap a chain about each post before it is pulled, this invention provides apparatus whereby the operator need never dismount from the tractor, and a large number of posts may be pulled, one after the other, without the operator ever dismounting from his tractor or other vehicle. The apparatus automatically engages with each post to be pulled, regardless of variances in size or other character of the posts, so that adjustments to the apparatus because of variances of size, and the like, need not usually be made. In addition, the apparatus herein provided is substantially cheaper than that afforded according to other forms of apparatus. In general, the invention provides an apparatus which is not only cheaper and more efficient, but which is trouble-free and is capable of pulling posts as found under varying conditions without trouble and at faster rates than has been known in the past.

The gist of the invention is the use of parallel jaws of planar form, the angle of which with respect to the ground adjusts the diameter of posts to be gripped, whereby the apparatus is capable of gripping and pulling a series of posts of somewhat different diameters without any necessity for the operator to dismount and attend to adjustments of the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 3 are each upper perspective views of the apparatus in the two forms previously referred to; and

FIGS. 2 and 4 are side elevational views of the apparatuses of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, looking toward the jaws engaged with a post in the direction of the jaw opening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the bolts or pins 10, 11 and the bracket 12 are adapted to be engaged with the three-point power lift of a conventional tractor. The sizes of the pins 10, 11, or bolts, may be varied to adapt to fit tractors having difiering power lift requirements. The crossbeam 15, a pipe, has welded to its opposite ends the shaped plates 16, 17, the lower end portions of which are provided with openings to re ceive the threaded ends of the pins 10, 11, which are secured by nuts and which are provided in various sizes having the same end-screw connection portions which are received through the openings of the flanges 16, 17 and bolted in place.

From the crossbeam 15, at or near its center, there extend the vertical post 21, a pipe or bar, and the horizontal beam 22, a pipe or bar. These beams or rods are slotted at their ends to receive an angular bar 24 which is pinned to beam 21 at 25 and to beam 22 at 26.

The bracket 12, in the form of an open-slided rectangle, with perforations adjacent the open side, is welded or otherwise affixed atop beam 21. The pin is inserted to replace the usual stabilizer pin on the tractor. A chain 31 extends from pin 30 to bar or lever 32 which is fulcrumed at brackets 33, 34 and connected to chain 35 at its other end, chain 35 being fixed at brackets 36, 37. Brackets 36, 37 are welded or otherwise afiixed to sleeve 39, which is disposed for rotation about beam 22. Sleeve 39 is restrained against endwise movement at one end by bolt or screw 40 disposed in a tapped opening of beam 22, and is prevented against movement longitudinally at its other end, and against unlimited rotation, by a screw 42 disposed in a tapped opening of beam 22. Screw or bolt 42 is disposed within slot 43 at the end of sleeve 39.

Plate 45 is welded or otherwise affixed along its lower edge to a side of sleeve 39. The upper edge of plate 45 is serrated or toothed, as at 46, by the teeth preferably being, as best shown in FIG. 2, angular at their upper surfaces. Plate 45 including teeth 46, is one of the two jaws which engage the post to be pulled.

At the back side of plate 45 there is aflixed, by welding or other means, a triangular plate 49, reinforced by triangular plate 50, at the shorter of the sides of which is afiixed a tubular sleeve 53. Triangular plate 49 is perpendicular to plate 45, and plate 50 is perpendicular to both plates 45 and 59. Sleeve 53 receives, movably disposed longitudinally therethrough, a bar 60 at the outer end of which is aflixed a perpendicular plate 63 reinforced by triangular gusset plate 64. Plate 63 has, at its end away from bar 60, an angular guide strip portion 67. The guide strip 67 extends angularly from plate 63 and is utilized to guide the plate 63, and the opposite plate or jaw 45 to a position for engagement with the post to be pulled. As will be well understood, the tractor to which the apparatus is connected will be backed toward the post.

To plate 63 there is affixed an angularly bent rod 68 the lower end portion 69 of which is welded to one end of the back of plate 63, and the longer vertical portion 70 of which is welded at its lower end to the other end of plate 63 at the backside thereof.

Sleeve 53 has at its upper surface a pair of perforations 75, 76. The bar 60 has a plurality of spaced perforations in corresponding area of its length, these not being shown since they are covered by the sleeve 53. A pin or bolt through the perforations fixes the bar in the sleeve. The perforation spacings or bar 60 and sleeve 53 permit, usually, one inch adjustments in the spacing of plate 63 from plate 45.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2 of the drawing, when crossbar 15 and bracket 12 are lowered by lowering of the three-point connection of the tractor, pin 30 remaining stationary, end portion 32a of bar 32 is raised relative to crossbar 15, and portion 32b is relatively lowered. This action moves brackets 36, 37 pivotally downwardly, rotating sleeve 39 counterclockwise and elevating plate 45 to or toward a vertical position. This rotation also elevates and rotates plates 63 to a parallel vertical position.

The apparatus, in this condition, is backed by reverse movement of the tractor or other vehicle toward a post, it being preferred that guide element 67 be directed to first contact the post to guide the apparatus to a position wherein the post is between :plates 45 and 63. Then the three-point hookup of the tractor is elevated, which moves plates 45, 63 to angular positions as shown in FIG. 2 whereupon the post 78 is contacted by the uppermost teeth 46 of plate or jaw 45 and by the lowerthe point of bearing of edge or corner 79 against the opposite side of the post, and the forced engagements of these jaw surfaces is caused by hearing of the lower end of the post against the side 82a of hole 82 at the side of the post at which plate 45 is disposed.

Once the post has been elevated upwardly to be free of the ground at its lower end, jaw 45 pushes the upper end of the post toward jaw 63 whereby the post assumes a position 78a inclined to the ground surface. The rod or bar 68 prevents the post from falling over the upper edge of plate 63. Then, especially upon forward movement of the tractor or other vehicle, the post falls or rolls from the apparatus to the ground, wherby the apparatus is in condition to be backed up to another post for repetition of the post pulling procedure. 7

In plate or jaw 45 there are provided, equally spaced from the edge of plate 45 having teeth 46 and spaced laterally longitudinally of the plate, a pair of perforations or bolt holes 85, 86. In plate 63, there are provided perforations or holes 87, 88 similarly spaced from the lower edge of plate 63. These holes are used in the apparatus of modified form shown in FIGS. 3-4, which will now be described.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes all of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, and the apparatus will not be re-described. The same reference numerals are used for this apparatus in FIGS. 3 and 4 as were used in FIGS. 1 and 2, as the apparatus is the same apparatus.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 two attachment assemblies are connected for use with the apparatus. Assembly 101 is afiixed to plate or jaw 45. Assembly 102 is affixed to plate or jaw 63.

Assembly 101 includes a flat plate 104 which is preferably of about the same size as plate 45 and which is affixed flushly against the face of plate 45 by two bolts 105, 106 disposed through holes 85, 86. A plate 108 is welded or otherwise affixed perpendicularly to the face of plate 104 below bolts 105, 106, its longer edges being horizontal. Plate 108 is rectangular at its main portion and has an extending portion 109 which is beveled at each of its two sides 110, 111. Beveled side 111 serves as a guiding surface for moving the apparatus to engage a post. Plate 108 is reinforced by a pair of triangular plates 113, only one being shown, the other being disposed in the same manner spaced from the plate shown. The edge 115 of plate 108 is the part or jaw which engages steel posts, vorthe like, for pulling them from the ground.

Assembly 102 includes a flat plate 120 to the back side of which are secured by welding, or otherwise, half parts of a hinge 118. The other parts of the hinge are carried at the lower end of a narrow plate 121 which is secured by bolting through the perforations 87, 88 of plate'63 as shown in the drawing, the bolts preferably being flush at the face of plate 120. Plate 120 is rectangular, except that there is provided an extending bent back strip portion 130 which resembles the guide strip 67 of plate 63, and overlaps this strip when plate 120 is parallel to plate 63. As best shown in FIG. 4, plate 120is pivotal at hinge. 118 so that it can be moved between its position shown in FIG. 3 and its position shown in FIG. 4. A springbiased curved rod 135 is afiixed at the back side of plate a 120, and the spring bias acts to bias the plate toward a most edge 79 of plate or jaw 63. The downward rotaposition parallel to plate or jaw 63. The tractor or other vehicle is backed toward a metal post 137, or other vertical object to be pulled, the guide strip and edge 111 assisting in causing entering of the post to between the jaws. Again, it is preferred to utilize strip 130 as the guide preferentially over the other jaw. To open the jaws to place them about a post, the crossbearn 15 is lowered by lowering the three-point hitch of the tractor, causing tension in chains 31, 35 whereby the jaws are tilted to substantially vertical positions, which gives the maximum opening between the jaws. Then, upon raising of the three-point bitch and beam the chains become slack and the weight of the jaws causes them to move downwardly to angular positions as shown in FIG. 4. Edge 115 of plate 108 engages one side of the post; plate 120, moved by pressure against the post to a vertical position extended along the post, engages the opposite side of the post, and the side 182a of a post-hole 182 engages the same side of the post as jaw 43, 108. As the crossbeam' 15 is further raised, plate 120 is brought into firmer engagement with the post, exerting pressure against the post oppositely and between edge 115 and side 182a of the post hole. This causes firm frictional engagement with the post whereby further elevation of beams 15 will withdraw the post from the post hole. Once the post has cleared the ground at its lower end it falls to an inclined position 137a, rod 68 again preventing the post from falling over the top of plates 120, 63. Then, especially upon forward movement of the tractor, the post falls to the ground. The inclined part of rod 68 tends to make the post fall from the apparatus after it has been pulled.

In the case of larger or stronger metal posts, the assembly 102 may be omitted. Metal posts of smaller size are frequently weak as regards bending forces, and adapter assembly 102 is provided to prevent bending of such posts when they are removed from the ground so that they may be reused. Plate 120 backs up the posts at the area where they would tend to bend, but if the posts are sufliciently strong the jaw 63 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be used in conjunction with assembly 101 at the opposite sides of the posts.

In both forms of the apparatus, a post may be pulled in successive stages. In the elevation of beam 15 as limited by the extent of raising of the three-point tractor hitch is insuflicient to clear the lower end of the post from the ground, then the apparatus may be released from the post by lowering the three-point hitch carrying the apparatus and then reengaging the post at a lower point in order to continue the withdrawal of the post from the ground. This may be done any number of times until the post :has been pulled completely out of the ground.

While preferred embodiments of the apparatus have been shown and described, many modifications thereof may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to protect by Letters Patent all forms of the invention falling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for pulling vertically elongate objects upwardly, comprising frame means adapted for connection to a lifting device, said frame means including pivotal means rotable about a substantially horizontal axis, said pivotal means supporting inner and outer jaw means disposed at lesser and greater distances, respectively, from said horizontal axis at the same side of said horizontal axis, said jaw means being rotatable with said pivotal means between an upper position wherein said jaw means are each at substantially the same elevation and a lower position, said jaw means defining a space therebetween which is reduced horizontally as said jaw means are rotated downwardly from said upper position toward said lower position whereby a vertically elongate object disposed therein will be engaged as said jaw means are lowered, means for rotating said jaw means to said upper position when said frame means is lowered by said lifting device and for rotating said jaw means toward said lower position when said frame means is elevated by said lifting device, whereby when said frame means is lowered a vertically elongate object may be received into said space and when said frame means is elevated said space is reduced horizontally whereby said jaw means engage said object so that further elevation of said frame means pulls said object upwardly.

2. The combination of claim 1, said inner jaw means comprising first plate means fixed to said pivotal means and having a substantially horizontal upper jaw edge spaced by said lesser distance from said horizontal axis, support means adjustably extending from said pivotal means past said inner jaw means, said outer jaw means comprising second plate means fixed to said-"support means and disposed substantially parallel to said first plate means and in mutually facing relation therewith and having a substantially horizontal lower jaw edge spaced by said greater distance from said horizontal axis, said greater distance being adjustable by adjustment of the extension of said support means, whereby said space between said jaws may be adjusted to receive vertically elongate objects of different lateral dimensions.

3. The combination of claim 2, said upper jaw edge of said first plate means having a plurality of teeth therealong to piercingly engage said object.

4. The combination of claim 3, said second plate means having object support means extending thereabove to maintain a said vertically elongate object disposed between said jaws parallel to said second plate means, said second plate means including angularly extending guide means for guiding said object into the space between said aws.

5. The combination of claim 4, said frame means including three point triangularly spaced connection means adapted for connection to the three point power lift of a tractor, said connection being the aforementioned connection to a lifting device, said frame means including centrally pivotal lever means having one end adapted for connection to the tractor and restrained against overmovement downwardly and having the other end connected to said pivotal means to rotate said pivotal means to move said jaws to their said upper position when said frame means is lowered and said one lever end has moved fully downwardly, said horizontal axis being disposed rearwardly from the tractor when the apparatus is connected to the tractor as described, and the opening between said jaws being open rearwardly whereby the tractor may be backed toward a said vertically elongate object to receive same into the opening between said jaws for pulling, there being no necessity for the operator to dismount from the tractor in order to receive, pull, and release a said object.

6. The combination of claim 4, including auxiliary jaw means disposed at the facing surfaces of said first and second plate means for pulling objects non-pierceable by said teeth, and comprising first adapter means fixed to said first plate means at the side thereof facing said second plate means and including web means having a horizontal edge perpendicularly spaced from said first plate means facing surface, second adapter means fixed to said second plate means at the side thereof facing said first plate means and including hinge means affixed along said lower edge of said second plate means and pivotal plate means hinged to said hinge means along a substantially horizontal line spaced from the upper and lower edges of said pivotal plate means whereby the portion of said pivotal plate means above said hinge is pivotal between a position parallely near said second plate means and a position angularly away therefrom, means biasing said pivotal plate means toward said parallely near position, whereby a vertically elongate object received between said jaws is engaged at one side by said web means edge and at the other side by said pivotal plate, said web means edge being above said hinge upon such engagements, and whereby said vertically elongate object is pulled upwardly as described upon elevation of said frame means by said lifting device.

7. The combination of claim 6, said frame means including three point triangularly spaced connection means adapted for connection to the three point power lift of a tractor, said connection being the aforementioned connection to a lifting device, said frame means including centrally pivotal lever means having one end adapted for connection to the tractor and restrained against overmovement downwardly and having the other end connected to said pivotal means to rotate said pivotal means to move said jaws to their said upper position when said frame means is lowered and said one lever end has moved fully downwardly, said horizontal axis being disposed rearwardly from the tractor when the apparatus is connected to the tractor as described, and the opening between said jaws being open rearwardly whereby the tractor may be backed toward a said vertically elongate object to receive same into the opening between said jaws for pulling, there being no necessity for the operator to dismount from the tractor in order to receive, pull, and release a said object.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT C. RIORD'ON, Primary Examiner D. R. MELTON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

